FireCore today released aTV Flash (black) 2.0, the highly-anticipated update to its flagship software for the jailbroken Apple TV. Version 2.0 brings a number of enhancements, including a Library View for browsing media content by category (TV, movie, etc.), integrated search, and trakt.tv support for keeping content wirelessly synced between multiple Apple TVs.

Sadly, aTV Flash (black) still doesn’t support the third-gen Apple TV, as a jailbreak for Apple’s latest set-top box has not yet been released. But second-gen Apple TV owners can grab today’s 2.0 update now.

From FireCore:

We are pleased to announce the release aTV Flash (black) 2.0 for the 2nd generation Apple TV. Version 2.0 goes beyond just watching videos, and adds in a ton of new features that make browsing and watching media on the Apple TV more enjoyable that ever.

Once an Apple TV is jailbroken, software like aTV Flash (black) is installed to enhance the experience. The default Apple TV interface isn’t bad, but aTV Flash (black) makes it so much better. For starters, you can play all kinds of video formats that aren’t supported in iTunes. What FireCore announced today only makes aTV Flash (black) an even more compelling purchase.

The main improvement is the new Library View. FireCore explains:

The new Library View will now index all your media (even if stored on multiple devices) and automatically organize movies, TV shows and music into easy to use categories such as: genre, release date, star rating, age rating and others. TV shows will also be group by series/season automatically so there’s no more worrying about keeping your folders perfectly organized.

While we think this is a great new way to browse and enjoy your media, the original file/folder based browsing will remain intact and working as an alternative option.

With the new aTV Flash (black) you can also search for videos stored anywhere on the Apple TV or in an attached network device. By integrating with trakt.tv, video playback can be wirelessly synced between multiple Apple TVs. If you watch a movie on the living room Apple TV, the bedroom Apple TV will show it as watched. There’s also Last.fm scrobbling for music playback.

Full changelog:

Added all-new Library View

Added integrated media search

Added trakt.tv 2-way syncing

Added Last.fm scrobbling

Added genre/artist based playlists

Added Recently Added display option

Improved handling of WTV files

Improved handling of DVD audio tracks

Improved AFP connections

Improved filename recognition

Improved subtitle handling

Resolved various navigation issues

Resolved rare DVD playback issues

Resolved rare subtitles positioning issue

Many other minor improvements and fixes

aTV Flash (black) costs $30, but it’s well worth it if you jailbreak your Apple TV. Today’s update is available for free to existing users under the Maintenance > Manage Extras menu.

We will hopefully have some news on the third-gen Apple TV jailbreak in the coming weeks.

About the author

Alex Heath is a senior writer at Cult of Mac and co-host of the CultCast. He has been quoted by the likes of the BBC, KRON 4 News, and books like "ICONIC: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation." If you want to pitch a story, share a tip, or just get in touch, additional contact information is available on his personal site. Twitter always works too.

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